Again for Verstappen, on pole by a breath in front of Norris

With such a general, the army Orange can shiver and undulate with pleasure in the green meadows of Styria. 

For the 2nd week in a row, their hero Max Verstappen took the best time – 1’03”720 – in a very lively and equally enjoyable qualifying session. The world championship leader will start the Austrian Grand Prix on Sunday, in front of stands packed with Batavian fans, who flocked to the Red Bull Ring this week with the easing of health restrictions. It was well worth having a little smoke in the stands!

The Dutchman, however, had difficulty immediately enjoying this 3rd pole position in a row, his 4th of the season, his 7th in his career. Unhappy with his team's strategy, which sent him onto the track early during Q3, Verstappen was almost outplayed by another orange driver with great steering skills. 

Lando Norris, it’s him, signs an XXL performance at the wheel of his McLaren-Mercedes to get to the front line. The British troublemaker failed just 48 thousandths from his first career pole. The facetious Norris did not fail to greet the “ orange stands all for the cause of McLaren and not Max ». 

The crack from Woking (United Kingdom) precedes a solid Sergio Pérez (Red Bull), who is present in the money time of Q3 to finish in the top three and strengthen the chances of success of his Austrian team.

In the Mercedes clan on the other hand, it's a cold shower with the 4th and 5th times only for Lewis Hamilton, renewed for 2 seasons this Saturday morning, and Valtteri Bottas.

For the 2nd week in a row, the French Pierre Gasly sets the 6th fastest time in qualifying, ahead of his teammate Yuki tsunoda, more and more comfortable at home Alpha Tauri. The Rouennais now hopes that the scenario of the Austrian GP will not be a remake of that of Styria where he had to retire on the first lap due to a puncture.

Behind the AlphaTauri, Sebastian Vettel is 8th but the driver Aston Martin will surely have to move back 3 places on the grid after having outrageously hampered Fernando Alonso (Alpine) in Q2. His teammate Aston Lance stroll is 10th.

Between the AMR21s slips a superb George Russell, who hoists his modest Williams in Q3 for the first time since the 1 Italian GP (Lance Stroll)... all on mediums! 

The British, who is aiming for a seat at Mercedes next year, takes care of his CV under the eyes of Ola Källenius, the big boss of Daimler, present in Spielberg for an important meeting concerning the 2025 engine regulations.

Russell will have benefited from Alonso's misfortunes in Q2. The pilot Alpine was on a promising flying lap when he came across Vettel's slow-moving Aston. Furious, the Spaniard could not do better than 14th in Q2, just ahead ofAlfa Romeo by Antonio Giovinazzi. 

Disappointment also for the Ferrari, absent from Q3. Carlos Sainz is 11th and precedes Charles Leclerc, While Daniel Ricciardo is having another complicated weekend with the 13th time only for McLaren. 

For the 2nd week in a row, we find the same 5 drivers eliminated in Q1 at the Red Bull Ring. The big (bad) surprise is once again to the credit ofEsteban Ocon, author of a very disappointing 17th time when Alonso completed the opening segment of qualifying in 3rd position… 

The Frenchman is ahead of the Alfa Romeo of Kimi Räikkönen, still on a gentle slope on Saturday. Ocon only leads Nicholas latifi (Williams) and the modest Haas de Mick Schumacher et Nikita mazepin. 

Verstappen on pole but unhappy, Norris sparkling, Hamilton slightly behind, this promises a potentially explosive scenario on Sunday at the Red Bull Ring.